Cutting tool for plaster casts



- Nov. 12, 1940. L.' R. BAILEY CUTTING TOOL FOR PLASTER .CASTS Filed May 23, 1938 gym 0mm Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leonard R. Bailey,

Salt Lake City, Utah- Application May 23, 1938, Serial No. 209,408

3 Claims.

My invention relates to cutters for cutting plaster casts from the limbs and bodies of hospital patients who have suffered broken bones or have other need of being placed in plaster casts.

A further object is to provide a highly efficient cutter which will be positive in action, easily operated, and one in which there willbe no danger of cutting the patient when using it.

A still further object is to provide. a cutter in which the blade is adjustable in relation to the head so that the physician or surgeon may cut through any thickness of cast required Without the usual slow laborious process now in use and which cutter will cut the case with a clean smooth edge so that it may again be used on the patient if need arises that it be replaced, thereby saving much time, expense, and grief, and pain to the patient.

These and other objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a side elevation of the device as it will be used.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the cutting 30 head alone.

Figure 3 is a face view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view of the head taken from the opposite side from Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 2.

In the drawing I have shown the device as provided with a framework head A, which consists of an inverted U-shaped body with one leg 5 slotted in from the end to receive the driving shaft S of the device. The other leg 6 acts as a guard and 40 depth guage. The top of the body has an aperture therethrough in which the adjusting screw 1 is passed. This screw carries the bearing block 8 on its lower end thereof and the shaft S is passed completely through the bearing block with the cutter blade or saw B secured onto the end thereof. This blade is preferably made an integral part of the shaft S but may be made to screw onto the end thereof if desired.

The threaded screw shaft 1 is secured in the top of the bearing block and is carried up through the aperture in the head A with a lock nut 9 screwed onto the shaft 1 under the head A and onto the top side of the head A one leg l0 of a supporting handle H is placed with the shaft extending upwardly therethrough. A combination depth guage nut and hand knob l l is screwed onto the top end of the shaft 1 to hold the entire shaft, blade, and bearing block inv fixed relation to the head A. The other leg l2 of the handle H is adaptedto fit against the side of the bearing block and may be secured there by a screw if desired but-the tension of the knob H will hold the handle fixed in relation to the rest of the device. 1

A flesh guard G is provided for the device when needed and consists of a foot if: having the edges tapered to a thin edge for introducing the foot under the casting and the back of the foot is turned up into a support bar It which bar is made of metal thinner in width than the width of the blade B so that it may pass through the opening or slit made by the blade when cutting off a casting. Thetop end of the bar 16 is carried over as a supporting rib IT and the bottom is flattened out into a support head l8, which is carried on the flat top of the U-shaped body A and the head has an opening or slot therein which permits it to be inserted under the bottom of the knob II to lock the entire guard in place on the cutter body. A lug l9 may be inserted through a hole in the head l8 to aid in holding it in place, the lug being formed on the top side of the body A.

The operation of the device is as follows: A small drill motor or a flexible shaft may be attached to the end of the shaft S and when turned on the device is ready for use. The doctor grasps the handle H in one hand and the knob I I in the other hand and with the aid of the foot between the flesh and casting he cuts a slot through the casting from end to end. If necessary, he may cut a like slot on the opposite side of the casting and if it is needed to be used again, he may tape the two slots so out together using the same casting again. The depth of the blade or saw B is guaged by the screw shaft 1, and the lock nut 9 and knob II and any depth may be cut as desired. In the event that a cut is not being made entirely through the casting, the guard G may be removed.

Having described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. In a device for severing plaster casts the combination of a U-shaped body having one leg slotted; a vertical adjusting shaft passed through said body medially therebetween; a bearing block carried on the lower end of said shaft; a transverse drive shaft passed through said block having one end carrying a toothed cutter blade adjacent the solid leg of said body and having the other leg extended beyond said body through said slotted leg; an adjustment knob and bolt carried on said shaft by which the depth of the cut of the cutter blade may be guaged; and a handle by which said device may be controlled.

2. 'A device of the class described comprising a body having depending legs, one of which is' slotted; a vertical threaded shaft passing through the center of said body carrying a bearing block on its lower end; a transverse drive shaft passing through said bearing block; a toothed cutter blade carried on said drive shaft; means to adjust the relative position of the cutter blade to the leg of said body which is not slotted, using the leg as the guage for the depth of the cut made by the cutter blade; handle means to guide said body and blade; a flesh guard mounted to said body having its vertical portion thinner than the cutter blade, and having the foot flattened with the edges tapered, said foot to be inserted between the flesh and the cast to be cut.

3. A device of the class described comprising a U-shaped body, having a slot in one leg thereof, handle means, for controlling the movement thereof; a vertical adjusting shaft passed medially through said body; a bearing block carried on the lower end of said shaft, adapted to be raised and lowered in relative position of the shaft to the body; means to lock said block and shaft in fixed relationship to said body; and a transverse drive shaft passing through said block carrying a toothed cutter blade on one end thereof.

LEONARD R. BAILEY. 

